


Talking Turkey

by TtotheCofA



Series: Tales from Tempo [2]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Mild Language, Multi, more old stuff from Tumblr finally migrating over here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 17:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18855391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TtotheCofA/pseuds/TtotheCofA
Summary: Arthur never did finish making that sandwich...





	Talking Turkey

**Author's Note:**

> Bear with me, folks. We haven't left 2014 behind yet.

Arthur gripped his controller until his knuckles were white, and he almost didn’t hear Lewis’ laughter over the loudness of the words ‘GAME OVER’ flashing across the LED screen.  
  
“I win!” The ghost - wearing his living disguise - turned to his Player One with an amused shine in his unearthly eyes. “You were close, though! One more boost pad and you might’ve caught me.” Lewis laughed. “Want to try again?” The blond took a slow, deep breath and let go of the plastic in his hands, letting it drop to the floor of the mansion’s gaming room.  
  
“Nah.” Arthur replied in a clipped tone. “I think I’ve had enough Mario Kart, for now.” Lewis’ smile faltered as his best friend stood up, stretched, and began walking away. What….?

“Artie, are you feeling alright?” The specter asked, dropping his own controller and rising up to follow, leaving the game to idle on the start screen. “You love video games - I’ve never seen you turn one down!” Maybe it was just his imagination, but Lewis almost swore that Arthur growled under his breath, not even bothering to look back at the ghost following him.  
  
“Yeah, well…I’m just not feeling it today.” The blond huffed, heading down the hallway in some random direction. To his dismay, Lewis continued to follow. Just fucking great. He was trying to run away from this confrontation, thank you very much. “Leave me alone, Lew.” Arthur snapped, glaring back over his shoulder in the hopes of driving his old friend away.   
  
Lewis pulled up short, and a part of Arthur whimpered at the hurt look on the ghost’s face.  
  
But he held to his resolve and turned back around, storming down the hallway and turning into the first room he saw. Lewis waited there, floating in the hallway, for a good five minutes before drifting forward and following after the blond. He found Arthur standing at the counter of the kitchen, vindictively putting together a measly sandwich that Vivi would have scoffed at. The ghost hovered in the doorway for a minute, tapping his fingers anxiously.  
  
“….Arthur? Are you mad at me?” He finally asked quietly. He saw the blond stiffen, hands halfway through pairing a slice of bread and processed turkey. Lewis sighed and drifted into the kitchen. “Artie, did I do someth-”  
  
“Yes! For fuck’s sake, Lewis, I’m mad at you!” Arthur slammed the bread back down on the table, disfiguring it with a handprint and nearly tearing it in half just from the ferocity of the movement. Lewis actually jumped, and his hair flared up for a moment before returning to its disguise. He held his tongue as Arthur turned to glare at him, but he couldn’t hide the confusion on his face when he saw unshed tears.  
  
“No. No, no! Do-don’t look at me like that!” Arthur practically hissed, swiping his hand across his eyes in a quick (and futile) attempt to wipe away the evidence. “I’m pissed! I-I mean it!” The hiccup in his voice was not convincing, and Arthur felt his face turning red out of pure frustration. “How could you even think that about me?!” He raged. Lewis drifted back in surprise at the sudden change in tone, and his magenta eyes widened.  
  
“Wh-?! Think wha-?”  
  
“We’ve been friends since farther back than I’d care to remember!” Arthur interrupted, glaring through his tears. “I couldn’t imagine a day without you, and even after the fucking cave, I thought about you every day; wishing it was me who’d fallen, wishing I’d been able to fight harder, or at least warn you…” The tide of fury finally started to recede, and Arthur leaned back against the wall, feeling hollow and drained. “How could you honestly think I’d kill you over anything….?”  
  
A heavy silence fell over the kitchen, and for a minute or two, the only sound to be heard was Arthur’s sniffling as he tried to reign in his strange mix of fury and heartbreak. The blond had his face buried in his hands, unable to face his friend when his emotions couldn’t stand to coordinate themselves, and he jumped when he felt a pair of strong arms pull him away from the wall and wrap him in a hug.  
  
“I don’t know, Arthur.” The specter’s voice was quiet; barely enough to break the silence in the room. “Thinking about it now, when I’m fully sound of mind - and you know I wasn’t when you first came here - I…..I really don’t know.” Lewis’ grip tightened for a moment when Arthur began to wiggle, but then relaxed just as quickly. The ghost floated back, expecting to be pushed away anyway…  
  
…and he was surprised when a metal hand reached out and grabbed him by the edge of his purple vest.  
  
Arthur still couldn’t decide what emotion he wanted to focus on, be it anger or self-loathing or contentment. But he didn’t want Lewis to leave. Not right now. He had his answer, and while it wasn’t very wordy, it….it was enough. The blond pulled his friend back in, clinging childishly to the front of his shirt as Lewis resumed his hug.

The ghost just smiled gently, rested his chin on the top of Arthur’s head, and listened to his friend steady his breathing.

 


End file.
